Prevent Account Hacking And Hijacking

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Foltern - Sanctuary
Foltern - Sanctuary Posts: 517 Arc User
edited November 2009 in General Discussion
Any information in this guide which is similar to other guides or other original user works in Perfect World forums or elsewhere is purely coincidental, This guide has been written from scratch using my knowledge gained from computer security certifications unless specifically noted.


This is a guide on account security when it comes to your Perfect World account and password security in general. Some of this might be common sense or a refresher. However I encourage you to read everything contained here. There is a lot of good and useful information you may be surprised to learn or think about. There may be a lot of information here and it may be a bit long however, It's worth the 15 minute investment to potentially save your identity and personal information in the real world and possibly the 10 months of hard work you spent making your character.

When creating a password for your account it's best to follow these 12 guidelines. Also there are strategies about managing them to keep your Perfect World account secure or any other program or website you may need to log into. Read slowly, Carefully and try to understand each topic and think about how it applies to you.

1. Your must be no less than 10 characters in length.

2. Your password should not have any complete words in it, especially a word that is in the dictionary. English or foreign dictionaries. Use your best judgment and common sense about this.

3. Your password shouldn't be related to anyone or anything in your life that is personal to you. This includes parents, People you know, Places, Pets, Digits from your birthday or the year you graduated etc.

Example: If your user account has the name or picture of your pet dog. And your password is your dog's name.

Another example: Your profile picture is your car. Your password is Viper2008

4. Your password should contain letters AND numbers. Not just one or the other. Additionally I recommend your password contain uppercase and lowercase characters.

5. Include at least one symbol in the password. Do not use an underscore or dash, It's very common and predictable. If possible and the website or program supports the complexity requirement, Use less common symbol such as a bracket and use more than one special symbol.

6. Never share your password with anyone for any reason whatsoever. This should include your friends. This is very important..There are several reasons why you shouldn't do this outside the obvious.

One reason is that, depending on how you relay this information to your friend, If your friend has a virus or keylogger installed on their computer. You have just given someone else your Perfect World login too, Not just your friend, There's several technical reasons to list.

If for some reason you violate this suggestion, After your friend is done doing who knows what with your account for a short time, Change your password immediately in a way that is not related to your former password at all.

Not because you don't trust your friend, Because you don't trust their installation of Windows, You can't personally verify the security of their computer, And if you can, Change it anyway ; )


7. In order for this to be effective, You must change your password on a regular basis. It doesn't do any good if someone is trying to LITERALLY **** into your account and you let them have an infinite length of time to “crack” or get your one password. As a general rule, I would recommend changing your password once a month, Although for maximum security, Passwords should be changed at random intervals.


8. Never use the same passwords or similar password. This is not secure or safe in any way. For example changing one character on the end or adding a number. This is a very predictable behavior and very common as well.


9. If possible, Don't write your password down where someone can just look at it. Don't write them on sticky notes and put them on your monitor or under your keyboard. If for some reason you have to write it down, Don't use a sticky note or colored paper note.

I realize this is a bit extreme, However the reason is this: If you have problems with a person in your life, They may try to retaliate against you. That's just how people are sometimes.

When a REAL hacker or vulnerability/security tester looks for logins and passwords, Sometimes he or she may have to look through a companies garbage or paper records. The easiest way to get this information is to read the sticky notes. People never shred them and they always write login information on them. So don't get into that habit. Always shred, burn, degauss or crush sensitive information. It's logical to assume any friends or family members who are mad at you or anything similar could do the same or something similar as well. It can and does happen unfortunately.


10. You should never have a document on your computer that contains all your login information. Like a word document or a text file. This means anyone can open it and read it. People behind the keyboard or someone who has **** into your computer. If you store passwords on your computer use a password management program that can encrypt the file with your information in it and store a copy off-site at another location. Make sure to have a second up to date copy. This way if anyone ever gets a copy of it. They can't access your personal information anyway because the file is encrypted.


11. Never enter your username or password anywhere else except the official Perfect World website, another official login area for support Or into the game when you login. There's fake links in emails, Fake login forms and a variety of other ways someone can try to get your login information. Unless your logging into the official site or the game itself do not submit your information. Always verify the web address. First, make sure it's not something like Perfectw0rld.com or some other similar looking url that is actually not valid in any way.

12. Consider using password management software to make this easy on you.

Keypass is an example of a good program to use. It's the program I have always used.

1. It is a free program
2. No spam, Adware, Adverts, Popups, Registration etc.
3. It stores any passwords you have inside an encrypted file.
4. It generates random passwords for you up to any reasonable length ( 30,000 ) and meet any complexity requirements ( Capitol characters, Lowercase, Letters, Numbers, Special characters, Brackets,Minus, Underscore, Spaces. It can generate passwords based on random mouse input.
5. It can automatically type passwords for you. And more.


Here are some examples of good passwords, But passwords you should never use because now everyone knows them ; ) These were generated using Keypass.

x7c^l$&m

D3#+MCxL

zw;bC'J?$847

ZlowN8&ge:n$7p:#!s@FXI


Unfortunately PerfectWorld does not support ALL of these complexity measures, Using special symbols and such. I do believe it does however support letters, uppercase and lowercase as well as numbers and length up to 14 characters. It is a good idea to use a password that meets the all complexity rules when possible. If you use Keypass, It allows you to automatically enter the password into the program or you can edit your record and then copy and paste the password into the program too so that you never have to type your password or remember it.

In summation. In my personal and professional experience, These are some of the best practices when creating a password and managing passwords to ensure maximum safety and security of anything you have to log into.

Remember, Most people do not follow these rules and this is how REAL identity theft happens, Account jacking, **** accounts and more. If a REAL hacker attempted to get into your account and you follow these guidlines. They would probably give up quite fast and move onto an easier account to **** because they know they can easily get into several other accounts with much less effort.

For example they would probably go and try 123 or 123123 or 123456 or the person's Perfect World forum username for the password too. ; )

Good security is the first deterrent to protecting your assets.

Who's changing their password after reading about the 123 and Perfect World part? <_< >_> o.o ; ))


Part of security is disaster prevention. If you use a password management program, Always store the file that contains all your login information on another hard drive if possible, Not the drive that has windows installed on it. Also always keep a second up to date copy off-site. In case of a natural disaster, Theft or another unforeseen incident.


In summation: I hope you all learned something and that this information will help you protect your Perfect World account as well as your identity and other information in your personal life.


*I am not affiliated, associated or representing any companies mentioned in this thread.

Regards, SemperHacker
Certified in security

SemperHealer-Cleric
Foltern-Archer
Post edited by Foltern - Sanctuary on
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Comments

  • Saitada - Sanctuary
    Saitada - Sanctuary Posts: 3,220 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    Good basic and comprehensive information, unfortunately most people will ignore it until it is too late and they have to spend days, weeks or months fighting to get stolen accounts back.

    Keypass is a good program.

    ~Saitada
  • Foltern - Sanctuary
    Foltern - Sanctuary Posts: 517 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    Good basic and comprehensive information, unfortunately most people will ignore it until it is too late and they have to spend days, weeks or months fighting to get stolen accounts back.

    Keypass is a good program.

    ~Saitada

    Thank you.

    Regards
  • Quilue - Sanctuary
    Quilue - Sanctuary Posts: 5,787 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    the best passwords are ones that uses Engrish, 1337, and lolspeak :D
    Elena Costel: I wash my hands of this affair.
    Legerity: *drags you back* *stains your hands with said affair*
    Elena Costel: Noooo... I don't want to have a dirty affair with Lady Legerity...
    Qui: b:dirty
  • Barbariankev - Heavens Tear
    Barbariankev - Heavens Tear Posts: 831 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    sry but this is common sense its a bit off a waste to post
    its impossible to always do the right thing we all make mistakes i am not different from that
    just try to be a good person

    english isn't my native language so there might be a few spelling/grammatical errors in my posts
  • Pegasi - Lost City
    Pegasi - Lost City Posts: 237 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    sry but this is common sense its a bit off a waste to post

    Common sense is not common. >_>;;

    Anyway, I found it useful. Some stuff in there I didn't think about until I read it. XD
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    When Saukey decides she can swim, I know I didn't get the DC pop-up again. Wish she swam when it matters.
  • Foltern - Sanctuary
    Foltern - Sanctuary Posts: 517 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    sry but this is common sense its a bit off a waste to post

    Thank you. While I agree some of it should be common sense for most people, Not all of it is or can be. Many people don't truly understand security or password security. There has been a lot of people claiming in world chat, Their account has been ****, I thought sharing my knowledge and some perspective might be helpful for those who may not know realize or live by these types of security measures. This information may not be new to everyone. However in my opinion it's worth a post if it prevents even one account from getting hijacked or **** or one person from being a victim of identity theft and I think it's a good refresher for those who may have put security on the back shelf.

    Regards
  • Saitada - Sanctuary
    Saitada - Sanctuary Posts: 3,220 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    sry but this is common sense its a bit off a waste to post

    You would be surprised at how many people have no clue about basic computer safety.

    You would be shocked to find out how many people use the name of their pet, girlfriend/boyfriend, favorite car etc as their passwords.

    You would be horrified to find out just how FAST common password cracking programs can break the majority of passwords out there (average time to crack a password, less than 15 minutes).

    So while to you and me this stuff may seem like the most basic security and common sense, sadly to most, this seems 'too hard' or 'it will never happen to me so I don't have to do that'.

    ~Saitada
  • Foltern - Sanctuary
    Foltern - Sanctuary Posts: 517 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    Common sense is not common. >_>;;

    Anyway, I found it useful. Some stuff in there I didn't think about until I read it. XD

    Thank you, I'm glad it helped you in some way.

    Regards
  • Wizzeled - Sanctuary
    Wizzeled - Sanctuary Posts: 747 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    I'd totally use the ones you posted for the simple fact everyone else is gonna think "Yeah no one would use those" then people are gonna think, now anyway, "Wait someone uses those!" but then tis all like "Nah he's just lying....or is he?" and then its all like "**** FU GO!"
  • Olba - Sanctuary
    Olba - Sanctuary Posts: 1,776 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    Just a note, all of the "randoms" that you spoke of are merely pseudo-randomness dominated by something. In programs, it's usually some complex algorithm of consirable size that makes is practically impossible to deduce input-output data.

    Also, telling people to change the password in "random intervals" is like asking them to make a schedule of different sized intervals and shuffle it. Well, that's not even close to true randomness, so that point is moot.
    If you disregard what I say because of who I am or because of the contents of what I said, you are a fool.

    Everyone wants to be different, but when you're different you wish you were normal.
  • Foltern - Sanctuary
    Foltern - Sanctuary Posts: 517 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    Just a note, all of the "randoms" that you spoke of are merely pseudo-randomness dominated by something. In programs, it's usually some complex algorithm of consirable size that makes is practically impossible to deduce input-output data.

    Also, telling people to change the password in "random intervals" is like asking them to make a schedule of different sized intervals and shuffle it. Well, that's not even close to true randomness, so that point is moot.

    While of course there is no such thing as a truly random algorithm, However people can change their passwords at random. Today. Then in one week from today. One half month from then and so on. That is within their control.

    Keypass for example has a feature which can generate a "random" password based on a complex algorithm which uses mouse movements as input. As you said, This is not "truly" random, However it would likely be considered mathematically impossible for a software engineer to understand the algorithm, reverse it then use that information to understand how the programs algorithm works. This would not allow the individual to know what other, already generated passwords are of course. I believe your referencing how random numbers are generated. For example in PGP the algorithms used to generate "random" keys, uses pre-generated prime numbers before it multiplies them instead of generating prime numbers, then multiplying them. The same technology does not quite apply here. Passwords can be generated using the built in algorithm or what can be considered equally random is user input from the mouse, Which cannot really be predicted and wil generate a different set of characters each and every time.

    I hope we can both agree, while it's true there is no random algorithm, using one that is accepted and understood as mathematically and computationally infeasible to reverse engineer or decipher even by other scientists and mathematicians, It's much more secure than taking a look around the room and using the name of an object or using something of similar complexity.

    Even though PGP has pre-generated prime numbers and clearly the way in which the program generates a random key is no mystery it is still considered secure even by several countries governments. For PGP the reason is simple and fundamental. It is not the generation of prime numbers and such that makes it secure. It is attempting to factor the result of multiplying those prime numbers. You don't need to have randomly generated prime numbers 100+ digits in length, It's trying to factor those numbers with 10,000+ digits which are the result of multiplying the base prime numbers.

    If an individual understood how the algorithm generates passwords in this program it would not educate them as to which user generated which password. When generating passwords the program works the same was as a one-way hashing function algorithm such as SHA-256.

    For the average desktop user it is should be considered more than acceptable security.

    Regards
  • Mumintroll - Heavens Tear
    Mumintroll - Heavens Tear Posts: 3,393 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    OMG. It just game not bank account.b:chuckle
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Saitada - Sanctuary
    Saitada - Sanctuary Posts: 3,220 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    OMG. It just game not bank account.b:chuckle

    And that type of thinking is what we are talking about. Thank you for proving our point.

    ~Saitada
  • Foltern - Sanctuary
    Foltern - Sanctuary Posts: 517 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    OMG. It just game not bank account.b:chuckle

    Hello, Your right. It is just a game and it is not a bank account. Some of these measures might seem a bit extreme, But security is a serious matter usually. People may not act on everything listed here and probably wont. However If someone reads this information and changes their password, even so it's a little more secure or a little bit more complex than the one they already have, They have better security and stand less chance for their account getting tampered with.

    The information applies to all programs and all websites and every place you type your password. It may also apply to an online banking website. Not just Pwi. This thread was posted to share general and common security practices to prevent account hijacking and hacking from all places and to enlighten users about this way of thinking so they DO use similar methods to protect themselves, For their bank account also.

    Regards
  • Mumintroll - Heavens Tear
    Mumintroll - Heavens Tear Posts: 3,393 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    Hello, Your right. It is just a game and it is not a bank account. Some of these measures might seem a bit extreme, But security is a serious matter usually. People may not act on everything listed here and probably wont. However If someone reads this information and changes their password, even so it's a little more secure or a little bit more complex than the one they already have, They have better security and stand less chance for their account getting tampered with.

    The information applies to all programs and all websites and every place you type your password. It may also apply to an online banking website. Not just Pwi. This thread was posted to share general and common security practices to prevent account hijacking and hacking from all places and to enlighten users about this way of thinking so they DO use similar methods to protect themselves, For their bank account also.

    Regards

    I agree. On every sensitive (accounts, information, etc), I have MUCH stronger password than here. I cannot imagine write down every day password like: @#cZrETE%^~ just for unimportant game. But I agree, it can help some people to take better care about their another more important accounts and sensitive information. b:victory
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Foltern - Sanctuary
    Foltern - Sanctuary Posts: 517 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    I agree. On every sensitive (accounts, information, etc), I have MUCH stronger password than here. I cannot imagine write down every day password like: @#cZrETE%^~ just for unimportant game. But I agree, it can help some people to take better care about their another more important accounts and sensitive information. b:victory

    Thank you for your reply. And you shouldn't write them down at all =P. Use a good password management program which encrypts your passwords. One like Keypass can automatically type it for you so you don't have to memorize it or ever write it down.

    Regards
  • Mumintroll - Heavens Tear
    Mumintroll - Heavens Tear Posts: 3,393 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    Thank you for your reply. And you shouldn't write them down at all =P. Use a good password management program which encrypts your passwords. One like Keypass can automatically type it for you so you don't have to memorize it or ever write it down.

    Regards

    Keypass? I never hear about this program. It can automatically type password? That's awesome. I gonna figure out what is it and how it works.b:dirty Thanks
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Foltern - Sanctuary
    Foltern - Sanctuary Posts: 517 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    Keypass? I never hear about this program. It can automatically type password? That's awesome. I gonna figure out what is it and how it works.b:dirty Thanks

    Your very welcome ^^

    Regards
  • Maiya - Lost City
    Maiya - Lost City Posts: 2,686 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    The thing about passwords is that not all allow the same thing. Some only allow letters and numbers, so symbols cannot be used.

    I'd have to say the majority of hacking cases in PW are mostly account sharing, and then a person getting revenge or something.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Foltern - Sanctuary
    Foltern - Sanctuary Posts: 517 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    The thing about passwords is that not all allow the same thing. Some only allow letters and numbers, so symbols cannot be used.

    I'd have to say the majority of hacking cases in PW are mostly account sharing, and then a person getting revenge or something.

    Your right. Not all places support all those complexity requirements. I know PWI does not heh. It took about 14 tries to make an acceptable password that falls within their complexity requirements. I was unable to locate a technical support document which outlines what they are. But once you know what they are, In my opinion it's a good idea to make a password that meets the maximum allowable complexity.

    I also agree that most PWI cases are actually account Hijacking* NOT hacking. Account hijacking is usually considered when you furnish someone with your password and they log into your account and change your password. While hacking is usually done by a complete stranger and can use other deleterious methods to obtain another users password while the user has no knowledge of the intruder. Even still, In my own opinion I think it's worth mentioning both sides of the coin so that users may change their thinking and apply it to truly sensitive information as well.

    Regards
  • truekossy
    truekossy Posts: 7,021 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    Shame common sense isn't common enough for this topic to be unnecessary... which is why I'd like to thank you for posting it. At least now those who frequent the forums have a better chance.
  • Foltern - Sanctuary
    Foltern - Sanctuary Posts: 517 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    truekossy wrote: »
    Shame common sense isn't common enough for this topic to be unnecessary... which is why I'd like to thank you for posting it. At least now those who frequent the forums have a better chance.

    Thank you. And your welcome.

    Regards
  • Falcondance - Heavens Tear
    Falcondance - Heavens Tear Posts: 699 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    Regards, SemperHacker

    *Goes and tries SemperHacker as a password*b:thanks

    Thanks for writing this guide, it's an eye-opener 'round these parts when someone writes a genuinely helpful post.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

    "I always thought I'd be the only one doing crazy things for people who would never care enough to do it back or to act like idiots or be entirely vulnerable, and making someone fall in love with you is easy, and flying 3000 miles on four days notice because you can't just sit there and do nothing and breathe into telephones is not everyone's idea of love, but it is the way I can recognize it because that is what I do."
    Sig pic by Nowitsawn
  • Foltern - Sanctuary
    Foltern - Sanctuary Posts: 517 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    *Goes and tries SemperHacker as a password*b:thanks

    Thanks for writing this guide, it's an eye-opener 'round these parts when someone writes a genuinely helpful post.

    Heh SemperHacker is my nick in other places. Nice try =P

    Also thank you for your kind and intelligent words. I'm glad you found it to be applicable and accommodating in some way.

    Regards
  • Mirabeth - Sanctuary
    Mirabeth - Sanctuary Posts: 246 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    Hey, thanks for taking the time to write this. It's very well thought out and written. Knowing a fair deal about securing things for myself, I knew most if not all of this, but it's always good to get a reminder as a wake up call not to become too complacent. Good job. ^^
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Thank you Skybelle for the wonderful sig

    Where did you go, where did you go? How did you know to get out of a world gone mad? Help me let go of the chaos around me, the devil that hounds me. I need you to tell me "Child be still". If the darkest hour comes before the light, where is the light?
  • Foltern - Sanctuary
    Foltern - Sanctuary Posts: 517 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    Hey, thanks for taking the time to write this. It's very well thought out and written. Knowing a fair deal about securing things for myself, I knew most if not all of this, but it's always good to get a reminder as a wake up call not to become too complacent. Good job. ^^

    Thank you very much Mirabeth for taking the time to respond to me individually. It's gratifying to learn what I wrote was helpful to you, Even if it was a simple reminder which may encourage and prompt you to continue using the best security practices.

    Regards
  • Kar_rak - Sanctuary
    Kar_rak - Sanctuary Posts: 104 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    A GM please stick this :P
    For a true Daeva's and Nakir's Swords! Sign at the post!
    pwi-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?t=163102
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • MagicHamsta - Lost City
    MagicHamsta - Lost City Posts: 10,466 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    sry but this is common sense its a bit off a waste to post

    b:chuckle
    humans especially lack teh common sense.
    b:shocked

    yay ty for this thread. me hope many read it and learn. d(^.-d)
    me vote for sticky. b:victory
    darthpanda16: Firefox crashed on me. Aryannamage: I don't think I am a GM that would be new.
    Hawk:Do this. closing thread
    frankieraye: I'll see if we can replace the woman with a stick figure and the tiger fangs with marshmallows.//Issues like these need to get escalated quickly to minimize the damage.
    Kantorek: Yeah.. you should try it. It's awesome.
    Sihndra: Nope- not currently possible under any circumstances. Sorry.
    LokisDottir: I mean...not haunting the forums, nope nope..
    Konariraiden: You don't know what you are up against. You will lose.
    Waiting for...Hamster Packs!
    58% chance to get tokens
    41% chance to get an all class pet hamster....but they has already been freed by the magic hamster.
    1% chance to get ban hamstered with the message "Hamsters United!"
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • trufflelove
    trufflelove Posts: 24 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    A password is only as good as the anonymity and complexity of the username.

    If they don't know and can't figure that out, your password becomes infinitely strong no matter how bad it is. If someone knows or can figure out your username you become visible and hackable.

    If PWI had any anti brute force measures at all, password concerns would become moot. Because, then, if someone **** you, it would be your own fault. You would have either revealed your user name and password to the person, or your computer lacks proper security.
  • Cervantia - Sanctuary
    Cervantia - Sanctuary Posts: 197 Arc User
    edited November 2009
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    5. Include at least one symbol in the password. Do not use an underscore or dash, It's very common and predictable. If possible and the website or program supports the complexity requirement, Use less common symbol such as a bracket and use more than one special symbol.

    7. In order for this to be effective, You must change your password on a regular basis. It doesn't do any good if someone is trying to LITERALLY **** into your account and you let them have an infinite length of time to “crack” or get your one password. As a general rule, I would recommend changing your password once a month, Although for maximum security, Passwords should be changed at random intervals.

    9. If possible, Don't write your password down where someone can just look at it. Don't write them on sticky notes and put them on your monitor or under your keyboard. If for some reason you have to write it down, Don't use a sticky note or colored paper note.

    Call me dumb, but I can't execute all those tips together. Simply because I could not remember a very complexe password without writing it down somewhere (not on my pc ofc). Also I have the problem that any dam internet thing requires a password and I have to remember them all and find new ones everytime. Would I take a random number-symbol-letter password I could not enter when I am not at home or lost the paper where I wrote them down. That's why I generate my passwords differently (won't tell how ofc) not including symbols, each be unique and good to remember.
    6. Never share your password with anyone for any reason whatsoever. This should include your friends. This is very important..There are several reasons why you shouldn't do this outside the obvious.

    I want to add: Never share your login name as well, makes it much harder to pick your account as possible target.

    So far I was well with having many different passwords letters&numbers and not telling anybody about anything.
    Cervantia BM 100 / Calivthel Cleric 101 / Davinella Archer 9x
    Kachengy Seeker 8x / Pianna Wizard 8x


    I need neither goons nor powerleveling.
    Addicted to PW since Mai 09.
    Factionless.